


A Cosmetics Commercial

by AkisMusicBox



Category: Skip Beat!
Genre: Confessions, Don't copy to another site, Eavesdropping, F/M, It's just a stage slap, No actual physical violence, Plot Twists
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-01-24 04:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18563902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkisMusicBox/pseuds/AkisMusicBox
Summary: Kyoko nearly loses a job when her co-star quits. Ren agrees to step in, only to find out it'll involve Kyoko getting to slap him!This is told exclusively from Ren's perspective.





	1. The President Will Have A Field Day With This

_I shouldn't have done this_ , he thought while sitting in the makeup chair. It was just a commercial, but his skin had to be flawless at the start. This would make the slap mark all the more noticeable at the end. _Kyoko's slap. Kyoko's going to be slapping me...the President will have a field day with this._

But what else was he supposed to do? Yashiro and Ren had heard the wailing from the LoveMe members' room when they entered LME. Any other time, Ren would have assumed it was one more of the minor tragedies Kyoko seemed to collide with on a regular basis. Something about a role, or a cruel actress, or a bad review that Ren could swoop in and advise her on, but this cry seemed absolutely painful.

They ran to the room, Ren yanking open the door to find Kyoko pounding the floor in despair. Kotonami sat on the bench and glared at her grieving form. Ren went to his knees and asked, "Are you hurt, Mogami? What's wrong?"

Ren felt Yashiro's and Kotonami's eyes burrowing deep into him, but her sobbing cut him beyond caring. Startled, she jumped and sat upright, wiping her face on the arm her pink jumpsuit.

"My...my commercial. It fell through. The main actor dropped and we were supposed to be filming today!"

"I'll do it!" Ren volunteered, a wave of relief coursing through him. _That I can fix. A commercial? This is nothing._ "I'll have Yashiro arrange it. I'm done for the day so it will be no problem."

She stared at him, wide-eyed and recoiled. "You can't! No, I mean - it's not right! I can't...I can't possibly..."

A pit formed in Ren's stomach. _What is this commercial about?_

The dark part of his mind reared up. _It's a kiss,_ it taunted. _It's a kiss, and the last person she'd ever want to kiss is a playboy like you._

Kotonami groaned. "Fine, since Kyoko's going to take forever to spit it out. It's a cosmetic commercial, which she's always wanted to do. The script was originally written for the main character to finally get to kiss the boy she's been pining after, but the director changed it due to pressure from the cosmetic company. The actor quit because the 'kiss' became a 'slap'. The boy rejects the girl, the girl gets the makeup, and then, the courage to slap the boy right in the face. The actor has been trying to get more romantic lead roles, and he backed out because he thought this would ruin his chances."

 _Kyoko doesn't want to slap me_ was a thought that did comfort him. The hopeful part of him let _Kyoko doesn't want me to reject her_ flit in his mind, but he waved it away quickly. He didn't want to get slapped by Kyoko, or put the image in her head that he'd reject her romantic advances. However, he knew how much it'd mean to her to be in a cosmetics commercial and to be associated with beauty and confidence. She might even get some free products from the company. He would have gladly just bought them for her, but he couldn't fathom the kind of conversational web he'd have to weave to get her to accept.

"Well, that actor is incredibly unprofessional," Ren said firmly. "To quit a job at the last minute for his own vanity is unacceptable. If the director agrees, I'll do it."

Kyoko's eyes began to fill with hope. "Are...are you sure?" she asked tentatively. "It might not be very flattering for you, either."

He almost snorted. "After playing Katsuki? This is fairly benign in comparison."

"Yashiro?" Ren called, still kneeling in front of Kyoko. He hoped concealing his face would have the desired effect on his manager. "You're suspiciously quiet. Do you have thoughts on the matter?"

Ren heard him struggle to keep an even tone. "It's nothing! Just checking the schedule at the studio today. Kyoko-chan, who is the director?"


	2. She Has To Focus On Me

The director had been shocked at the proposal, positively stammering when Ren Tsugura showed up at the set. Ren had even agreed to do it at the former actor's pay rate instead of his own, and the director nearly threw himself on the ground in disgrace. Ren said something about understanding that commercials have tight budgets and even tighter deadlines. He wouldn't stand by and let another actor disrespect his vocation, regardless of the job. He neglected to say that at this point, he would have done the commercial for free because the dark part of his mind kept saying Kyoko shouldn't be slapping anyone but me.

That thought and his desire to avoid Kyoko thinking any worse of him competed in his mind while his hair was being styled, keeping him fairly quiet. Kyoko was almost done with the first scene on the schedule - post-rejection, when she finds the foundation being advertised, as well as her confidence. _Naturally, she's almost done. She's incredibly in-tune with those kinds of emotions._

By the time the stylist was complete, the crew was already adjusting the set, readying it for the rejection scene. It pained him to do it, but he vowed he'd do it in one take. _We won't dwell on that piece. I won't let it sink into her mind that I could do that to her._

He found her sitting in a chair off to the side, studying the script and chewing her fingernail. "Mogami-san?" he asked softly, not wanting to startle her.

She bolted to attention. "I'm sorry! Were you talking to me? I was in my own head, sorry! I can't figure this out."

He smiled. "I only just started. Let me take a look." He frowned when he saw what page she was on. "You're skipping ahead to the slap? You know we're doing the rejection next?"

She nodded. "I can get rejected. I'm familiar with that. I just...I've never done a stage slap."

He was almost amused. "Didn't your instructor teach you at the acting school?"

"I missed half of the lesson because of filming with Box "R"," she admitted. "And the way I changed Natsu meant I didn't work with the stunt coordinator as much."

"Understandable." He pointed to a note on the script. "This means the scene will be shot from behind my head. That'll make it a lot easier to make it seem real and do it safely. Also, see here? The director changed it so I'd be sitting during this scene, so you'll be able to strike downward, and I'll be able to knap down low."

"Knap?" she asked. Her eyes watch him intently, as he knew she had entered her studying mode. It made her a sponge for everything around her, and he reveled in the fact that it was him she was studying. Not trusting his voice at the moment, he decided to demonstrate. He held his hands low to his side, one palm hovering above the other. He pictured himself being slapped, and tossed his head downward with the impact, clapping his hands. He noticed a few crew members look over, concerned, but relieved once they recognized the demonstration.

"The sound of the impact, right!" she said with a smile. "But also, that was uncannily real, and I watched the whole thing." She furrowed her brow.

"Do you want to do a run-through?" he asked. "Switch me places."

He took her chair, and she stood in front of him. "Which hand will you be slapping with?"

She held out her right hand. He took it with both of his and touched it to his right cheek. He ignored the way his heart fluttered, but couldn't the way her hand trembled. "We're not actually going to be making contact during this scene, that's the benefit of just the right camera angle. Your hand will actually be about ten centimeters away from my face." He let go of her so she could take a step backward.

"Okay, let's break it down. You'll strike from the upper-right, and make 'contact' with my face. My face will go from a neutral position to sharply down and to the left. I'll knap down on the left as well. Your hand will need to follow through, down and to the left on the same path. You'll need to show your reaction when I'm down - absorbing the sight of my character's defeat, while also showing the camera."

"O-okay," Kyoko said.

_I know she gets the content...is it just the execution that's bothering her?_ he wondered. _She doesn't want to hurt you. She'd rather caress your cheek then slap it_ , the hopeful piece of him whispered. _Be quiet!_

"Let's try it once," he suggested. "If we get the first one out of the way, we can practice again after this next scene. It should help you clear your head."

"I can try," was all she could manage. _This is no good_ , he thought. _Her fire isn't there, her rage, the ire of a woman scorned! If she has the right emotion behind it, she'll pick it up easily._ He'd have to provoke her. The obvious way would be to mention Fuwa, but he refused to accept that. She might actually hit him then, and the emotional trauma would be far worse than the physical for him. _She has to focus on me._

He gave her a smirk. "Come on, Mogami. I know I've done plenty to make you angry. This is the perfect time to take out that frustration on the one that caused it. Show me what you really think." He propped his elbow on the armrest and leaned smugly. He let the darkness take a turn. "Or do you think so very little of your senpai that you don't want to give it your all? Have you gotten lazy?"

She scowled at him, and he could feel waves of fury radiating off of her. She clenched a fist. "Let's do it!"

"Careful!" he chortled. "Use a loose, open hand. It'll be more natural that way, and less...painful if it goes wrong." He sat up straight.

Bemused, he leaned back in his chair. "Anna! I'm...surprised to see you. I hope you're - !"

Without hesitation, Kyoko raised her arm. Snarling, she struck the air, and Ren went down. The crack of his hands sounded through the studio, and he clutched his face, wincing. He squeezed the arm of his chair, and through his fingers, looked at Kyoko in shock.

Her head was tilted enough for him to see the glint in her eye. _She just crushed someone who underestimated her. I know that look on her very well._

He sat up. "Did that help?"

She finally looked at him. "Yes! That was amazing, it felt so natural!" She gave him a quick bow. "You're an excellent teacher!"

He was glad she felt more confident, but a selfish part of him wished it still felt foreign to her. Nothing I can do about it now. "I'm glad you're feeling better. Though you might want to switch to naive optimism, they are almost done setting the scene."


	3. Did I Miss The Slap? Bummer.

Reiji gave Anna a soft smile, taking her hand in both of his. "I'm sorry, Anna. I think you've misinterpreted our time together. While I am very fond of you..." He shook his head. Anna's face fell. Reiji let go of her hand.

"I'm not in love with you."

Anna's lips quivered as she stared at her hand. It was trembling when she braved looking back up to him. His face said, _Foolish girl, why would you think such a silly thing? I couldn't love someone like you._

A pained gasp escaped her as she sunk to the floor.

"Cut! That was amazing!" the director called. "'One-take Tsugura', indeed! And Kyoko, your reaction was so authentic! Uh...Kyoko?"

Kyoko was still on the floor, shaking. Ren kneeled in front of her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "One moment!" he called to the director.

"Mogami-san? Mogami, the scene's over. Can you come back to me?" He tried to ignore the pit forming in his stomach. "Reiji's gone. Anna can leave as well."

She jerked to attention, locking eyes with him. He smiled. "There you are."

She scrambled to her feet, bowing to the director. "I'm so sorry! Sometimes I get lost in the character. I don't want to hold us up!"

The director scoffed. "We're way ahead of schedule now. Please, take a break while we change the set!"

"Did I miss the slap? Bummer," Ren heard called from the far side of the studio. He saw Kotonami approaching, smirking at the scene.

"Moko-san!" Kyoko hollered, waving at her fellow LoveMe member.

"Mogami-san, we need to go back and fix your makeup," an assistant said. "You need to be pristine for your next shot. You too, Tsugura-san. We'll have your artist meet you in your dressing room." Kyoko grabbed Kotonami and practically ran in retreat. He knew Kotonami's presence would distract her from dwelling on the previous scene. _However, I don't think Kotonami's the biggest fan of my relationship with Kyoko. And she wants to see me get slapped? This does not bode well._

 

* * *

 

Ren sighed from his dressing room when heard Kyoko's voice chastising Kotonami through the shared wall. _One of these days, she'll learn that most of these places are cheaply made. Especially on a commercial like this._

He went to tap on the wall to warn her, when she heard Kotonami's cutting voice tease, "Bet you're wishing the director would switch back to a kiss now, don't you?"

He froze. _What kind of a joke is Kotonami playing?_ The silence that followed made Ren bite his lip.

Finally, Kyoko mustered, "The slap gave me an excellent opportunity to learn about stage fighting! It's a great skill to add to my acting repertoire."

He buried his head in his hands. _What else was I expecting?_

"It's not nice to lie to your best friend," Kotonami pushed. "Or are we?"

"Moko!" Kyoko cried. "Please. Stop. I can't take this. I can't take Yashiro, President Takarada, and you pushing me to pursue him. I can't."

Ren let himself sink into the darkness. _At least I'll stop me from still being foolish. I have to hear it all. There will be no doubt then._

"You all suggest things that are going to drive him away. The closer we get, the more chances he has to see exactly how pathetic and ordinary I am. And when he sees that, he'll leave me. I know his heart already belongs to someone else, but at least I can be his student. He'll always care about people who try, and that's all I can ask for. So please, stop encouraging me to do something that will make him leave. And stop using our friendship to pressure me! That's you saying no matter what, I'm going to lose one of you!"

Ren's heart pounded in his ears. He didn't know what twisted logic could lead her to those conclusions. _How she could think she was anything but extraordinary? How she could think him in love with someone else? How she could think he would leave her?_ However, knowing that she did, he finally understood. Hope made him wonder, _Did I hear her right? Would she want my heart to belong to her?_ He didn't know if her phrasing necessarily indicated that, but at least he knew he was special to her. She feared losing him, the way he did her.

"Tsugura has been there for me. Even when he hated me, he pushed me to not act out of revenge. Even when my mom...somehow he was there. And I can't take it if I do something to make him go away."

He could walk in her dressing room. He could burst in and confess. _Kotonami wouldn't be the worst person to witness it_.

Before he could decide, Kotonami said, "You're never going to hear this from me again, so listen closely! I'm sorry I'm mean. In my defense, you're incredibly stubborn and it feels necessary a lot of the time."

Kyoko gave a sad chuckle.

"Plus, what I meant was, you've never staged kissed either. I'm sure he'd have been happy to teach you that."

"Moko!" Kyoko whined. She couldn't summon her whole fury though, as she fought a laugh.

Ren blushed. He heard a small tap at his door and reflexively covered his face with his hand as he fought to regain his composure. "Tsugura-san? Sorry for the mix-up, we'll be doing your makeup first."

"Please, come in."


	4. The Tiniest Diamond He'd Ever Seen

When the makeup artist entered, she heard Kyoko and Kotonami discussing the merits of a slumber party - Kyoko enthusiastically 'pro', Kotonami adamantly 'con'. The artist merely smiled, and pulled a small stereo out of her makeup bag. Once she plugged it in and the music was playing, only the loudest of Kyoko's arguments were clearly audible - the rest an indecipherable jumble. He was thankful for the distraction - even if they had revisited the topic, his mind was already spinning. _And maybe the girls will realize that they were heard? It certainly would make it easier if she realized she'd accidentally confessed._

 _How do you convince someone that you're not in love with someone else?_ he wondered as the artist powdered his nose. _Or should I try to convince her that I am in love, it's just with her?_

He had thought he'd showed her signs before - with her birthday and White Day gifts, the almost unlimited access to his apartment, and the flower ring. The sheer amount she knew about his true nature and not the cool, collected person the industry knew should have made it obvious. _But...I'm sure it was similar with Fuwa for a while as well. She was practically by his side most of her life._ The thought angered him, but he took a breath. _And I guess I...I give gifts a lot. I return all Valentine's Day gifts, which is an effort in itself. And since money isn't really a concern for me...it may seem like the easy way to curry affection. Something a playboy would do._ He sighed. _I gave gifts to my girlfriends. Lots of gifts. I thought that was the best way to show that I cared._

"Sorry, Tsugura-san, we're almost finished," the artist apologized.

"No, I'm sorry. I was thinking about what I had to do after this shoot. Please, take your time."

The song changed. Kotonami's voice stopped abruptly, and then became nearly inaudible. _Did she just realize that was coming from next door?_ He wouldn't have been surprised, Kyoko had the uncanny ability to absorb anyone in to their own world. _She must not have pointed it out to Kyoko, though. Kyoko's not screaming in despair._

As the artist moved on to his forehead, he noticed her wedding band with the tiniest diamond on it he'd ever seen. _Perhaps I'm a bit out of touch if that was my first impression of it._ "Excuse me, miss...may I ask you a personal question? Miss...?"

"Uh, Torika! Emi Torika. Of course, you may." She stopped and watched him curiously.

"You're married, correct?"

She smiled softly. "I am. Ten years." She looked at her ring fondly. "Jin keeps offering to get me a bigger one for our anniversary, but I wouldn't get rid of it for the world."

"I'm sure it's a beautiful memory of your wedding, yes?"

She chuckled to herself. "The wedding... was kind of a disaster. My parents hated his parents - not Jin, mind you, just his parents. Because of that, neither side really wanted to contribute, and we really didn't have much money to begin with, so it was a small, awkward affair. We were just starting our careers, but I knew in my heart I needed him by my side. We had so little back then, and life was so hard, but I was able to get through it because of him." She shook her head. "I'm sorry! You had a question?"

"For a role," he clarified quickly. _Why? What would it matter if she knew it was for my personal life? And what if Kyoko heard that?_ "I just wanted to know...how you knew that. What made it clear to you that it was him? Beyond just loving him."

She nodded and began work on his cheek. "I think I understand what you're asking. Love is important, but it's not enough. It's got to have something more solid. Jin's reliable. He'd always try to help me however he could. And I knew I was special to him. He'd trust me with sides of himself no one else knew. He let himself be vulnerable with me, and that was just so...precious, I knew I had to protect it."

He stifled a groan of frustration. _I've been doing that! If the Cain Heel stunt didn't make that clear -_

"But, how, exactly?" he asked as tactfully as he could. "How did he make it clear you were the only one?"

She snorted, then blanched. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to laugh, it's just...nothing earth-shattering. He just told me. I mean, I remember one night in my dorm room he was freaking out over some test results, and I mean he got an A, but he was still angry at himself for missing an essay question he was positive he knew. And I just asked him, 'What is your deal? You did great!' And then he like balled his hands into fists and said, 'I'm only telling you this because I love you, but I've got dyslexia and I've been working really hard to not let it affect me,' and so on and so forth. Which turned out to be a really weird way to tell me he loved me for the first time, but the sentiment was perfect. Like, it was just so ingrained in him that he loved me, he couldn't think he hadn't already told me or would be afraid to tell me something so personal." She winced. "Sorry...does that make sense?"

It did. "Thank you. That...that was extremely helpful. Do you have something planned for your anniversary?"

"Just Okinawa, next month," she said with a blush. "I'm sure you've been to nicer places, but I've never been."

"Okinawa is lovely. Plus...it doesn't really matter where you go as long as you're going with someone you care about."

"Tsugura-san! You sound like such a romantic! Or is that just prep for the role?" she asked as she stowed away her makeup kit.

"I'd like to think it's more than that," he said slyly. She laughed.


	5. I Just Need To Follow Torika's Example

Kotonami's presence proved helpful to practice the slap a few more times. Ren's position didn't loan itself to determining how authentic her movements were, or checking her final expression. On the fourth practice, Kotonami looked properly shocked. "That's it," she said firmly. "It was...creepy how good that looked."

_Good. At least you're not relishing in me getting struck._

They still had to do the take three times, strictly because the director was unclear on what emotion he wanted from Kyoko. "I've got one with closure, one with sadistic glee, and one with excitement. I'll be able to pick from those. Torika-san? A quick addition of Reiji's slap mark?"

Torika brought a small palate and a few brushes on the set. To his surprise, she had Kyoko put her hand on his cheek in the spot where he was 'slapped', in order to help her form the appropriate size and shape. The few seconds of the touch felt like an eternity to Ren. _Is this burning the image in her head more? Why is her face turning red?_

_She doesn't want to be seen touching you._

He normally would have rebuked that thought, but it proved effective to get an appropriate reaction shot in a single take.

"Fantastic work, everyone! And please, give your thanks to Tsugura-san especially. We wouldn't have been able to do it without his help, and so quickly at that!" the director said as he wrapped the commercial.

Ren dipped back into his dressing room to remove the mark, and give himself a moment to collect his thoughts. _Kyoko's making assumptions. I am too. I just need to follow Torika's example._ He wasn't sure how yet, but he knew he had to try something before he lost his courage. He left the dressing room and found Kyoko giving the director a parting bow.

"Where's Kotonami-san?" Ren asked her as he approached, grasping for something to say.

"She had to leave for another job," Kyoko explained.

_Maybe Kotonami doesn't hate me? Is she giving me a chance?_

"I wanted to show off though! The company gave me some of their makeup!" She held up a tote bag triumphantly.

He smiled. _I did torture myself to get her that._ "I might not be the most experienced, but you could try showing off to me?" The dark part of him cackled at the phrasing. _Damn it. Just shut up already!_

Kyoko flushed but proceeded to rifle through the bag and show him, when it dawned on him that she was still wearing the makeup from the shoot. "Would you like to grab dinner with me? It'd be a shame to not go out while you're still wearing their products." He winced at the awkward phrasing, but the last thing he wanted to do was imply she'd needed to wear makeup.

"Hamburger steak?" she asked hopefully.

"I was thinking something a bit classier than a diner," he countered. "Somewhere you can show off a bit more."

She scowled. "Why are you teasing me? I've had an extremely long and emotionally draining day! Just because you _did_ save the commercial does not give you free reign to mess with me!"

"Mogami-san, you do look very nice!" He realized the damage had already been done, though. She wouldn't possibly accept his compliment after she assumed it was a dig on her preferences. "Actually...I know a place. It's generally fairly quiet so it might help you relax?"

She watched him carefully, and deciding that his words were genuine, conceded. "That would be nice, if it's not a place that you have to have reservations."

"I've never needed one," he clarified. He hadn't, as he had been a regular patron of the owners other, higher-end establishments. The staff knew well enough to keep a few secluded booths available for customers like himself. _That isn't something Kyoko needs to think about,_ he decided.

 _You're supposed to be honest with her_ , the darkness called. _You're being deceptive._

_I will be honest! In a safe setting._


	6. It Wasn't Even A Question

Kyoko made a face when they were lead to a dimly lit booth, far away from other customers. A single, short candle flame flickered in the middle of the table, illuminating a small bunch of white roses next to it.

"This is your compromise?" she asked incredulously. "They recognized you! I don't think you fully understand the definition of the word. Most people don't frequent restaurants like this to the point of recognition!"

He shrugged. "I'm not a proficient cook. It's either dine out more frequently or eat at convenience stores."

She sighed. "Fine. But I can teach you, you know!"

"I'll take you up on that when my next role is as a chef." He expected a proper scowl for the joke, but she was only able to muster a half-hearted one.

They made pleasant conversation over their meal, but he hadn't mustered the courage to talk to her yet, so he insisted on ordering dessert.

"You're going to give yourself a stomachache again, Tsugura-san," Kyoko teased.

"Maybe I just wanted to watch you enjoy it," he returned. She flinched. _Damn it. Why do I do this?_

"I meant that you worked very hard today. It's not easy to learn a new acting skill and employ it as well as you did. You don't take compliments or rewards well, so I...I guess I tried to be sneaky about it."

She stammered, "Oh...oh...well it's only thanks to you!" The perfect student found her footing again. "This commercial was beneath you, and to have to do it at the last minute as a favor to me was just... above and beyond, you're truly a professional -"

"Kyoko," he interrupted. She froze again, the use of her first name throwing her off guard. "I wanted to talk to you. But I need you to take everything I say at face value. It is...extremely difficult for me to say what I need to. And it would hurt if you tried to change the meaning of them. So please, will you listen and just...accept what I have to say?"

She nodded, wide-eyed.

"You are...extremely important to me. There have been several instances, personally and professionally, where I have been in a difficult position, and wouldn't have been able to get out of it without your help. I would have never found Katsuki without your help. I wouldn't have been able to control myself as Cain. I was...slipping away, after the car accident. And it was you who brought me back."

He saw her shiver, so he looked down at the table cloth, digging his nails into his palms. "Nobody else has seen the sides of me as you have. Nobody else had the chance. Because I don't let others in. But somehow, I let you in. I trusted you. You need to understand that. Even out of all the girls I've dated..." He shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing like you. The tabloids don't run stories on me because I'm positively boring. I am nice to the other women I work with, probably to a point where it gets misconstrued. It is terrible to say that the fact that you've seen the uglier pieces of me is a testament to how important you are to me. How much I've let you in. You are special to me, Kyoko, so when you said you were going to lose a job because some other _guy_ was worried about his ego, it wasn't even a question. Of course, I was going to do it. I intend on being in your life as long as you'll tolerate me, so please...don't think things like that are asking much. After all that you've done for me."

He didn't realize he was shaking until she reached out and put a hand on his. It was what he needed to steady himself. He braved looking into her eyes, gold wavering with unshed tears.

"Please," he begged. "There's no one else." _No one else I love_ , he wanted to say, but he didn't want to push his luck. As long as she'd agree to keep him by her side, he could slowly show her the truth. She just needed to accept how special to him she was.

Her voice came out as a scared whisper as she squeezed his hand. "I don't want you to leave me. Ever. And...I'm extremely lucky to have your trust." A single tear rolled down her cheek.

A lump formed in his throat. "Kyoko...I - "

They both jumped as the heard the waiter clear his throat. "My apologies. Crème brûlée?" He set the dessert on the table and left.

Kyoko pulled her hand back, which sent Ren's heart plummeting until he saw her grab the two spoons resting on the dish. She offered him one. He reached for her cheek and brushed the tear away before taking it. With a shy smile, she plunged her spoon into the dish, cracking the caramelized top. She took a taste of the cream, and let out a pleased squeak.

"Try it! It's so good, I think it's worth risking the stomachache," she insisted.

"If you say so." He didn't know if it was the relief he felt from her accepting his feelings or if it was truly the flavor, but it was the best dessert he had ever tasted. _Maybe I could learn to appreciate them properly now._ He grinned like a child.

Her eyes lit up. It emboldened him to press his luck just a little bit. "Can I ask you a favor? Will you...call me Ren? At - at least when we're in private?"

Her face flushed red.. "Only...if you'd...call me Kyoko?"

His heart swelled. "I would love too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An actually, legitimate love confession? Not for my emotionally constipated faves! At least, not yet :)
> 
> This is what happens when I decide I want to write a fan fiction based on this gif:  
> https://giphy.com/gifs/bobs-burgers-fox-bobs-burgers-tv-l0HFiWl1x55gT327K

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Cosmetics Commercial: Redux](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18757126) by [AkisMusicBox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkisMusicBox/pseuds/AkisMusicBox)




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